Of Turpentine, Cigarettes, and the Boy Next Door
by Wandering Aimlessly
Summary: Two boys living in an apartment together. One is a pyro with a soft heart, the other a lazy genius artist unmotivated to live his life, and looking desperately for a miracle to pull him out of his slump. Enter the eternal optimist boy next door.
1. Chapter 1: Of Staircases

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I wish I owned Riku I realy do and Axel to. I do own _a_ Sora. A very lovely Master Form Sora Figurine who seems to take a liking to threatening my RuroKen figures. No Sora, Kenshin is not a heartless.

**Author's Begining note:** this fic is a product of some frustrations with myself. As such it has a lot of swearing in the the first part. This idea came to me one night while contemplating the direction of my life. It is an AU the setting is the apartment that I currently reside in. There will be yaoi so be prepared- and a very angsty Riku, possible implications of rape and child abuse, and character injury. Joy. The title is taken from the relationship that the two main characters have. Turpentine for those not in the know is a very smelly, highly flammable chemical used to thin down oil paint. In fact it is so smelly that it gives me headaches and watery eyes.

This is my first real fic in years so please be nice. comments and constructive criticism is love. Special thanks to my partner in crime KichouSoodo for beta-ing this for me and coming up with character last names.... and yes giving me the most messed up fight with Xemnas last week (everything that could go wrong went wrong and I still some how won. Riku almost got KO'd, I missed reaction commands left and right and I was in the process of healing myself when that goddamned lazer thing started towards the end, and Sora was left with a screaming health bar....) Anyways Enjoy!

**Of Turpentine, Cigarettes, and the Boy Next Door**

**Chapter One- Of Staircases **

"Alright, I was fine dragging you down the sidewalk, but now I need you to help me help you," the redhead said still jostling his keys and the limp form slung across his shoulders.

"I hate stairs," his companion whined.

Of course he did since thoughts of stairs carried with them memories of being thrown down them. But this was ridiculous.

"Well your welcome in my book to sleep down here in the lobby. Mind you it won't be comfortable and that heartless of our neighbor might come out in her curlers and hideous floral bathrobe to harass you for being slumped against her door like the lazy ass bastard you are."

The boy issued a snort and quickly found the strength to put weight on his legs grimacing as he did so.

"Fuck you," he said not so subtly.

"Right here? Your not my type anyway. We discussed this. I don't date whiny, lazy, and immature boys who reek of highly flammable chemicals and have seriously rainbow colored hands. I just put up with the fumes and live with them, and pretend to date them because they can't hold down a job, least of all take care of themselves."

"Oh I love you too. Oh well, I don't date smokers anyway, especially ones who have a fascination for lighting things on fire. And my hands aren't rainbow, I'm not that gay. They are blue and only at the finger tips. If you had to scrub your hands for half an hour to get the damn shit out you'd leave them blue too."

They were halfway up the treacherous stairs by then, and Axel would have laughed at his friend's comment if not for at that exact moment- out of nowhere- a bright ball of energy flew down the stairs. His friend, Riku was that pain in the ass's name, practically leapt into his arms with a tortured yelp at nearly being creamed by what ever that was.

"What the fuck?" was the consensus.

"I'm sorry!"

Was all they heard as the offender, a teenage boy, rounded the corner at the base of the stairs and headed out the front door keys jingling a little too happily.

"Kids these days no manners," Riku snorted as Axel now proceeded to drag him further up those goddamned stairs. The limp injured leg he had been nursing this entire trek banged painfully on a stair tread.

"You shouldn't talk punk. And I didn't just see you look that boy up did I?"

He playfully sent an elbow into Riku's ribs, instantly regretting the joke for Riku let out a pained gasp and a cough.

"Jesus, are you trying to kill me," he wheezed.

"I'm sorry."

They finished their ascent up the damned staircase of doom. Riku dropped unceremoniously to the ground as Axel fumbled with the keys to the door. Finally after yet again trying to use the wrong key and then turning the right key the wrong way, the door opened.

"Ok lump, I assume you can get your lazy butt to your room with out help."

Riku moaned and clamored to his feet, leaning on the door frame as he did so. He then limped off to the back of the dark apartment and flipped on his bedroom light.

Axel sighed and walked into the kitchen, flicking the light-switch as he stuffed his keys into the mail organizer. A random bill fell to the floor and he grumbled and bent down to pick it up.

He shook his head and sighed yet again. the faint sound of the radio could be heard coming from his delinquent roommate's bedroom.

_Riku, how the fuck did you fuck up again, _He thought. _Trust Riku to fuck up the one good thing he had going for him, thus fucking up my life._

And Axel really had to stop saying fuck. It just wasn't healthy. Of course neither was the alternative which included a few beers, some cigarettes and lighting a few things on fire. He really had to resist the latter. And Riku hated smoking. His lungs were sensitive and his stress reliever just might kill the boy. Not a bad idea. No, that was an unnecessary thought as much as the white haired brat deserved his wrath right now.

So instead of lighting a bonfire in the back of the building that was sure to draw out the fire department right across the street, Axel instead lit the burner on the stove and set upon it a pot filled with some condensed 'shit in a can' as Riku liked to call it, that kind of looked and smelled like chicken soup. Kind of. To think of it, it looked like piss from a can. And Riku was to smart to be fooled by imitation soup, but Axel was to tired to care about his friend's picky tastes, even if his friend was sick.

Which brought him full circle to the cause of that day's stress. Simply put it started with a phone call, some dropped boxes, a long car ride in the middle, some yelling, and ended with a pink piece of paper. And then that trek up those blasted stairs, but we already know about that.

To elaborate, the day had started out just fine even if it had meant that he had been forced to take the morning shift because he was the only one his boss trusted to unload the morning's liquor shipment. This had it's upside though, after a morning of forced labor he would have the afternoon, evening, and next morning off.

And then his cellphone rang in the middle of the unloading process. Luckily his boss, a shifty blonde man by the name of Luxord, had been their to catch the box of most likely very expensive liquor when he jumped. Noticing that the call came up with an unknown yet vaguely familiar number, and ignoring the death threats that were being issued from Luxord's eyes, he answered the call.

"Is this Axel Xanti," the female caller asked.

"Yes."

"Well your name was the only one on the emergency contact card for Riku Ryoichi."

Shit. What have you done now dimwit. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Well he just kind of collapsed in a coughing fit during the morning rush."

Shit there goes this months earnings in medical bills. _Shit Shit Shit._ (notice how Axel's swearing just escalates during the day)

"Where's he been taken?"

"Oh it wasn't that bad, at least we don't think. He's in the office right now being calmed down."

There was a sigh of relief somewhere in there.

"I take it you need me to come pick him up right?" he asked cutting to the chase. This woman was way to cheerful for her own good.

"Yes."

He had stolen the words out of her mouth.

"Fine. I'll be there in a few hours, I have to finish a few things at work. Alright. Bye."

He then shot a very apologetic look at Luxord before grabbing another box from the floor of the truck.

And so a few hours turned into a monotony of him turning various thoughts over in his head. And then finally after a twenty minute drive that took way too long, traffic on the parkway aside, (Hey he hadn't meant to cut off that jackass ok?) he finally pulled into the parking lot of the newest place Riku had found employment, dogging the apparently suicidal pedestrians, parking the car, and proceeding to walk into the oh so blindingly bright interior.

The moment Axel's eyes adjusted to the brightness he could instantly see why Riku might have problems in a place like this. It was absolutely swarmed with customers, all will looks of displeasure upon their faces. Children's screams reverberated off of the walls. All the while the employees all looked like anti-depressant addicted drones, mindlessly scanning items- and smiling.

He struggled past the teeming crowds and the cashier-drones and happened upon the manager who he had talked to on the phone who shepherded him to the employee break-room. Riku was slumped in his chair with his head down other table. He pulled out a chair and sat down beside him, placing his hand on his shoulder and noticing that proverbial pink piece of paper underneath Riku's hand.

All Axel could think was _Shit they fired him_

"Riku are you alright?"

"No," was the reply.

"What did they say to you?"

"If I have a bad leg I should have told them and they could have accommodated me."

"Why didn't you. Hell you've had this problem for years."

"Because I didn't want to be treated differently. I have been for my entire life."

"So instead you ended up standing for too long on that leg of yours. You let the pain spark an anxiety attack and you fell down coughing, right?"

There was silence.

"And then they fired you."

More silence.

"Riku you're such a lucky bastard that I care about you enough to put up with this shit."

Riku turned his head to face him and smiled- slightly.

"Come on let's get outta this place. It gives me the creeps," he said as they both stood up.

Riku seemed a bit unsteady on his feet but he insisted on walking, and Axel let him keep the last bit of dignity he had in that god forsaken place.

"Maybe now we can concentrate on getting you a job you can keep," he said. "Maybe I'll try to convince Luxord that the club needs a mural."

And that's how it had been. But the time they had cleared the parking lot Riku was no longer able to walk on his own and he stumbled the last few steps to the car and sat down in a huff, exhausted from the effort.

There was more silence in the car. Riku was a man of a few (but choice) words, and Axel wasn't the type to press.

So now he stood there in the kitchen resisting the urge to smoke and running off a mental list of things to do.

First he took out the tray table from the cabinet, placing a bowl and a spoon down on it. Then he went to the freezer and put ice cubes in a ziploc bag and wrapped that in a towel.

Ah the things one would do for love- mind you platonic love. They had tried the whole romantic love thing finding that completely cliché statement true. What they liked about each other as friends they despised as lovers. So they went back to the whole friend thing.

Of course Riku had more emotional and physical needs than most friends were willing to take care of. He was constantly sick, and had a nearly crippling injury to his leg that instead of healing- was just getting progressively worse. Not to mention he was lazy, bitchy, a very poor housekeeper, and completely unable to care for himself. No one wanted to be a full time babysitter to a twenty year old. Except for him- because he was a masochist.

Down the hall Riku struggled to get his pants off without setting off another wave of pain in his right knee. Finally he just stood up and let them drop to the ground with a soft thump and stepped out of them. He then sat down and pulled on his PJ pants and pulled off his work shirt, a button snagged in his long hair and he had to practically rip it free. He grabbed his sleep shirt and pulled it on, and then promptly laid down and buried his face in his pillows.

Today was so not his day.

Needless to say he had hated that job, so it wasn't much of a loss to him. But it was for Axel. His friend was still paying the bills from the last time he had to be hospitalized for a bout of pneumonia, and that was a year ago. Not to mention the prescription painkillers.

Or for that matter the countless hours that the redhead spent tending to his needs, like what he was doing right now in the kitchen. The older man was too good for him. And Riku felt so helpless.

He didn't need Axel to remind him that he was a lazy bastard. He already felt like one. Its just that the motivation was not there. And that was more debilitating than his leg injury.

He truly was an awful person.

"Riku."

Axel's voice snapped him out of his self loathing.

"I know your aspiration is to become one with the bed but come on."

Riku flipped over unto his back and looked back over at the threshold to his bedroom. Axel was standing their tray in hand. If only he had an apron on he'd look like a housewife. Mind you a very tall, masculine, housewife with gravity defying red spiked hair.

He snickered despite Axel's statement. He was used to that tone from his friend, in fact if Axel didn't speak to him like that Riku would be worried.

Axel glanced about the room. Riku was one who lived in a state of organized chaos. Only Riku could make sense of the mess and woe to the person (Axel) who tried to clean up after him.

Upon entering the room one would immediately see Riku's workspace, a folding table stretched out from where the door hit the wall, littered with a myriad of oil paint tubes, cling wrapped palates, brushes, and pickle jars of medium and turpentine. Besides the table was his easel with one of his giant hand built canvases upon it. His latest imagery tended to be figurative with twisted white forms on dark backgrounds, with bright red and blue demon wings.

Tucked between his easel and the corner of the room was his computer desk that doubled as his eating space for it was littered with bowls and soda cans. On the adjoining wall was a window, a cluttered bookcase, a night stand and then his bed stretched out from the corner and took up much of the third wall. On the final wall sat his dresser with a TV on top, placed so Riku could watch it while in lying position on the bed. A gaming console was set up and the wires dangled off of the dresser haphazardly. Most of his clothing lay strewn on the floor.

Axel stepped over the clothes towards the bed and placed the tray down on the night stand. He regarded Riku for a few seconds noticing just how tired and sick his friend looked.

He grabbed some extra pillows from the hall closet and returned to the room. Riku had begun to sit up so that he could eat and Axel placed a few of the pillows behind him so he could sit up comfortably. The last pillow he folded and used to elevate Riku's right leg. He rolled up the pant leg immediately noticing how red and inflamed the knee was. His suspicion was right.

It wasn't' the first time he had seen Riku's knee like this- but this was certainly the worst it had been since he met him. His eyes moved down to his ankle which was also inflamed- though not quiet as bad.

The reason for this? Well if you looked closely you would notice that Riku's right foot and ankle didn't align properly. Because of this that leg hadn't grown as much as the other and it put uneven pressure on his knees wearing away at the joint. In a few years the damage- not to mention the pain- would be so great that he would no longer be able to walk.

All could be fixed with surgery and a knee replacement. And of course neither of them could afford that with no insurance. So Riku endured the pain he had been feeling since the initial injury when he was still a kid. The incident had involved a set of stairs not unlike the one that they had just ascended- and Riku's father, something that Axel didn't feel like thinking of at the moment.

So he pulled the pant leg back down and used an ace bandage to hold the ice pack to Riku's knee. He then pulled the bed's covers over his friend and placed the tray on his lap so he could eat.

"Your pills are on the tray next to the bowl. Take them after you eat," Axel said sitting down on Riku's computer chair.

Riku gave an appreciative nod in his direction. His sea-green eyes were tired slits now. Axel sat there and watched him as he ate. When he finished and took his pills, Axel removed the tray and Riku slouched down into a more comfortable position and nestled under the blankets, falling asleep almost instantly.

Axel sighed for the umpteenth time that day, and realized that he had completely forgotten about the information he had printed off at the library the other day and left in his car. He had been researching civil partnerships in order to make sure he could gain authority over Riku's medical care decisions. After all Riku was technically a ward of the state and he was unsure of how this would effect his care when the inevitable time came.

God, Axel didn't want to think of that. Riku needed a fucking miracle.

He walked briskly to the front of the apartment, opened the door and nearly walked right into a short brunet boy carrying a moving box that looked too big for him.

"Watch where you're going," they both said.

The boy let out a nervous laugh and put his box down. His coppery brown hair spiked up at odd angles, and he had amazing crystal blue eyes and a beautiful smile. He was dressed in navy blue band tee, black hoodie, ripped jeans and black fingerless gloves. Obviously a student, couldn't be over 20. Around Riku's age then, he thought.

"My god your the kid that ran us over on the stairs," Axel said.

The boy laughed again.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm your new neighbor. My name's Sora," he said extending a hand.


	2. Chapter 2: Of Chemical Reactions

**Disclaimer: **Ok now I'm working on owning Riku I really am.... they finally released a figure of him even if it is him from KHI. I am still waiting for the KHII Riku figurine..... until I get him I'll just settle for saying that I do not own Kingdom Hearts it is owned by Disney/Squeenix, I am but a humble author. There you like that? Pft.....

**Author's Note:** I am quite amazed by the numbers of people who story alerted this thing. Thank you and thank you to my two reviewers. Please if you like this leave me a review and I might get to updating faster. Spacial thanks goes again to my partner in crime Kichou for proof reading this and for being my Sora.....

**

* * *

Of Turpentine, of Cigarettes, and the Boy Next Door**

**Chapter Two- Of Chemical Reactions**

"My name's Sora," he had said extending a hand.

The man in front of him blinked a few times before taking his had and shaking it. His handshake was firm and sincere despite the fact that he was still staring at him with his pricing green eyes. He had the feeling of being sized up.

"Name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

That was odd.

This man had a cocky attitude and a appearance to match. Axel was dressed all in black, with a hoodie sliding off of his shoulders slightly, revealing a tank with strange silver symbols screen printed on it, half tucked into his studded belt. Slim faux leather pants accentuated his long legs, the bottoms tucked into combat boots. His bright red (obviously died) hair was warn in long spikes in the front, while the rest was tied in a low pony tail in the back that reached to his shoulder blades. A few pieces of hair fell into his green eyes which were rimmed in red eyeliner that extended past the eyes. Two black diamond shaped markings (he couldn't tell if they were more make-up or tattoos) fell like dark teardrops under his eyes. A cigarette was tucked behind one of his heavily pierced ears.

Sora didn't know whether or not to be in awe or to be slightly intimidated.

Sure his best friend ran with a rough crowd and wore similar clothes (complete with the eye liner), and he had even met some of them but none had ever looked at him the way Axel did, nor had they been this.... errr..... friendly?

"So kid are you just gonna space out and stare?"

Sora snapped out of his daze.

"Um, sorry, nice to meet you Axel," he replied smiling.

"So, your a student?"

"Yeah, I'm going to the university down the street."

"Oh, ok, I went there too. Whatcha studying?"

"I don't know yet, so I'm just doing my basics this year. Freshman English, history, math, psych, a art elective, oh yeah and chem," Sora replied wrinkling his noise slightly.

"I take it chem isn't your best subject."

"Nope just started class last week and I'm already lost. I have class this afternoon and I can't figure the homework out."

"Need help?"

"Yeah I suppose," he sighed. "What are you a chem major?"

"Yup!" Axel said smiling. "What can I say I like causing things to explode."

Great, his neighbor was a psycho.

"Why don't you go put your box down and grab your book and join me in my kitchen. We'll get that homework done before your class."

And now he was being invited into that said psycho's kitchen. His over protective best friend would just looooooooove this. But what choice did he have? He wasn't about to fail chem simply because he couldn't do his homework. And Axel seemed nice enough.

A few minutes later Sora found himself in that kitchen gazing about his new surroundings with an odd look upon his face. The first thing that he noticed was that there was a couch in the the narrow kitchen, right next to the row of cabinets that also contained the sink,. The refrigerator also sat against that wall. The other wall contained another row of cabinets and the stove, a small TV and a large microwave occupying the counter space along with a ceramic pot with cooking utensils poking out at odd angles. A large canvas occupied the free wall space over the arm of the couch, a swirling image of a white figure with blue and red demon wings upon it. The couch occupied a wall in front of the window, and a few half dead plants occupying the sill. Behind him were a table and a few chairs, and two door ways one coming from the hall where he had entered the apartment, the other leading to what he thought was the living room, except that it had been blocked off. The room looked almost exactly like the kitchen in his apartment, except with out the couch.

Axel was sprawled out on the couch with his feet propped up on a coffee table, waiting for him.

"You have a couch in your kitchen," Sora stated.

"Yeah, my roommie is a mess so we turned our living room into my bedroom. So the kitchen is our version of a living room. Come sit," he said straightening up.

Sora walked forward and sat down next to Axel, spreading his books out on the coffee table. He looked up at the painting for a few seconds, intrigued by the image.

"My roommie painted that. He's an artist. That's about as close as you'll get to meeting him. He's a bit of a recluse, doesn't like people. The only way to get him out of his room is to cook something that he can smell over his turpentine," Axel joked, a small look of unease, maybe even sadness spreading across his face. That look he quickly brushed off though.

"He doesn't get lonely?"

"Naw, I don't think he understands what loneliness is, at least as long as I'm around."

"That's sad," Sora replied.

He was a naturally happy, and friendly person. Some people even accused him of being a Prozac or caffeine addict, but he knew his feelings were genuine. Happiness was the only way he knew to get through all the things he had experienced.

"His loss," Axel said shrugging, that same sad look creeping back onto his face for a second time before, yet again, it was brushed off.

Sora couldn't help but be slightly intrigued by Axel's mention of his roommate. He hadn't had the best time growing up, his mother was single so it had always been a struggle to live, and he had been horribly bullied in school. So now that he was over all that he had made it his unspoken mission in life to try to help people out. It was a naive mission, but making people who were upset smile, made him happy. Axel's roomie just seemed like the perfect person, if only he could just meet him. That seemed like an improbability.

Axel seemed busy diagramming out the solutions to the problems posed in his homework, a look of concentration on his face. It was obvious to Sora that this kind of work excited Axel. Maybe he'd just have to start with Axel then.

"So are you like some kind of big chemist?"

"No, I'm a glorified bartender at a nightclub. I'm too busy enjoying being young to have a career right now," he said with a smile.

"Glorified bartender?"

"Yeah I also prepare all the special effects for the stage shows there. Pyrotechnics are my specialty."

"Wow that sounds cool. I'd like to see sometime."

"I think you're a little young. Besides, its a gay bar and your way too cute. My coworkers might try to rape you."

Sora blanched, and Axel laughed.

"What you have a problem with queers?"

Oh, no it wasn't that, exactly. His best friend came out in high school so he was perfectly fine with gays. Maybe a bit too fine. There were always the nagging thoughts of the rumors that had gone around his school, and thinking about that always led to confusion on his part. Confusion which hurt- a lot. Well, he was almost certain he liked girls, one girl in particular, but it was times like this he really doubted himself. Maybe now he had something else to learn from Axel as well.

"No, my best friend is gay, and he's one of the best people in the world- well at least to me. He's always been there for me. He's thinking of moving in with me, but he doesn't know for certain. I'll have to introduce him to you."

Axel lowered his gaze and smirked at him like there was something that only he knew.

"Yeah sure. So are we gonna do this or not?"

Sora laughed slightly as he looked down at his work. Axel explained the next few problems in a way that Sora could understand perfectly. There was an odd look on his face, somewhere between excitement, concentration and worry. Sora saw an opportunity.

"Hey you look like something's on your mind," Sora said.

"It's adult stuff. Nothing you should be worried about," Axel sighed. Sora didn't belong in his problems, hell he hardly knew the kid.

"Hey what's that supposed to mean! I'm nineteen! I think that qualifies as adult!"

"You don't look like an adult."

Sora stuck his tongue out.

"That's not very adult either."

"Says you," Sora said. "I'm sorry to stick my nose where it doesn't belong. I just don't like seeing people unhappy that's all. And I know we just met but I already like you as a neighbor and friend."

Axel's mouth curled up slightly.

"See! I got you to smile. Mission partially accomplished."

"Partially?" Axel asked raising an eyebrow.

"I still haven't gotten you to tell me what's wrong."

"You're an annoying brat."

"I've been told that a few times," Sora said with a smile.

"All right you. Here's my story. I used to be a juvenile delinquent. Gangs, petty crime, drugs, you name it I did it. I got put away for a while for destruction of property. Ended up in a home for troubled youth. That's where I turned my life around. I got put in foster care with two other boys. They were adopted by the woman who took us in, I was a little too old and in a few years I wanted my independence, but I found myself going back their all the time. Those two became the brothers I never had. Well about three years ago our 'grandma' as we called her fell on hard times. I had graduated college and had a good job and this place so she asked me if I wouldn't mind having those two around, I couldn't say no to her and she sent in a little money when she could. It was always tight but I got the first one of them a job at the bar where I work, he met his boyfriend there and moved out and is a very successful musician. The other occupies the bedroom still. He can't find work because of his health problems. I love the kid but the bills are pilling up. I can't get a second job because he needs me here during the day. It's stressful to say the least."

Sora sat there for a few moments thinking of what to say next.

"You know life is what you make it," he said finally. "You got your life turned around on your own and you seem to be doing just fine now. You love your brothers and want the best for them, it's obvious. I'm sure you'll get things figured out eventually. You just gotta hang on until then. When you hit the bottom the only place to go is up."

"And what makes you so wise?" Axel asked, his smile had deepened.

"My story? I love my mom. I really do, but things haven't always been good between us. My dad walked out when I was just a baby. She was young couldn't handle being a parent, yet alone a single one. She'd leave me with various relatives while she went out and partied. No one really cared though except for a friend I met in school and his mom. If it wasn't for them I probably would have died of neglect. One day that all changed though. I don't know what happened but mom changed. She cared all the sudden. She got a job and was working constantly to support us. When I was sixteen she got injured on the job and had to go on workmen's comp for a year and that paid for groceries but I had to go and get a job just so we could pay the rent. Luckily she was able to go to school again and got a job that she loves and now everything's fine. The whole experience taught me a lot. And I found that even when things are bad if you just smile and try to find little happinesses in life, that those little things add up and you can be happy even through the worst."

"Are you sure you didn't just raid the box of fortune cookies?" Axel asked jokingly.

"Nope that's 100% genuine Sora," he replied. "Hey maybe I could spend time with your roomie between classes so you could get that second job."

"I want to give you the benefit of the doubt kid, but I just don't think that's gonna happen. Besides I don't think you really wanna babysit a 20 year old," Axel sighed.

Sora smiled.

"I'll try anything."

Axel smiled slightly. He wanted to give Sora a chance. He really did. Things would have to be taken slowly though. He couldn't force Sora on the boy. If anything positive was to happen, it would have to take place on it's own.

And thus a few weeks passed, with Sora appearing two mornings a week in Axel's kitchen for homework help.

Axel was easy to get along with. He had a weird if not slightly perverted sense of humor, and an easy going style. Not to mention he was surprisingly smart, considering he looked like something out of a punk-rock magazine. Sora also found that despite being tough on the outside, that on the inside he was sensitive and very caring. Especially, from what Sora gathered, towards his brother/roommate.

That particular subject was never really brought up in conversation, in fact Axel generally changed the subject when Sora came close to bringing it up. However he did find out some little things, like the fact that his roommie was a picky eater and liked his hot food hot. He liked to listen to the newscast on the radio in the morning and evening and had a liking for indie music which could sometimes be heard over their conversation. His favorite color to paint with was blue. Small things like that. No name, no sign of the elusive roommate, just a closed door at the end of the hallway.

And then one rainy morning that all changed.

Axel had been helping him figure out a list of compatible chemicals for a lab.

"So which one has an adverse reaction with this one?" Sora asked his nose in his book.

Axel's attention was elsewhere though. He had herd a door open down the hall, and quiet shuffling noise soon followed.

He turned his head up.

"Riku....."

"Huhhhhh what kind of chemical is that?" Sora asked busy with his work and completely oblivious.

Axel laughed slightly at Sora.

"One synonymous with turpentine," Axel joked.

"Huh, turpentine? I thought we already talked about that one. Highly flammable and it stinks. Used as a paint thinner."

Axel bent down.

"Look up slowly, act natural and don't stare," he whispered in Sora's ear.

Sora was confused, but did exactly what Axel said, well except for the staring part.

He couldn't really help it. There in the doorway stood a boy- he guessed that he must be Axel's roommate from the fact that there was paint smeared all over his tee-shirt, which hung off of his body like it was a few sizes too big. But that's not why Sora stared. His hair was a silvery white which hung to his shoulders in soft layers, ends flipping out slightly, and long bangs accentuating his sharp facial features. His skin was pale and his arms were muscular but thin. His baggy sweatpants draped off of his long legs. He was leaning heavily on a cane which he held in his right hand, his eyes wide open. There was an odd expression in those dazzling sea-green orbs- a mixture of pain and surprise.

And from what Sora could tell he was already trying to leave as suddenly as he had appeared there. Axel stood up bounded over to him and grabbed his free arm preventing escape.

"Come on you. There is no way in hell I'm letting you run away with out you meeting my friend here," Axel said ushering the confused, and obviously anxious boy to the table where he was forced to sit.

You see, Axel had kind of hoped all along that the elusive boy would would do exactly what he had done that morning. Sora stood up and walked over to where Axel was standing.

"Sora, this is Riku, Riku this is Sora," Axel introduced.

"Hi, Riku," Sora said extending a hand

Riku looked like he was going to get sick.

He swayed in his seat slightly until Axel put a hand on his shoulder. Sora noticed how he was hyperventilating slightly. A few short coughs escaped his mouth.

"I should have known you'd need your meds," Axel said. Riku looked up at him and nodded. "Your gonna have to lie down though."

Axel grabbed a pill bottle from a basket on the table and then scooped Riku up in his arms, as Riku let out a noise that sounded somewhere between a squeak and a growl in protest, as Axel carried him back into his room.

He returned a few moments later shaking his head.

"What's wrong with him?" Sora asked as Axel rummaged around in the refrigerator surfacing finally with a few slices of pizza.

"If you couldn't tell his right leg is deformed slightly from an incident when he was a kid, and his ankle is all fucked up. He's had surgery to try to fix it but nothing has worked, and now his knee is fucked as well," he replied placing the pizza on a plate and then microwaving it.

"He looked like he wanted to run when he saw me."

"Don't take it to heart. He has a hard time getting used to new people, it makes him anxious and he hyperventilates, which is why he hides in his room."

"Oh," was all Sora could say there.

It was sad really- at least to Sora. There was probably a reason for him to be like that, but right there he couldn't comprehend why somebody would get sick at the thought of meeting new people.

The microwave beeped, and Axel removed the plate.

"I have to go give this to him," he said turning and walking out of the room.

He nodded his head slightly in a gesture that Sora interpreted as 'follow if you wish.'

The hallway was dark despite the soft light filtering through the bed sheets Axel used to partition off his bedroom. Against the wall stood several paintings as tall as he was, stacked against each other. From what he could see the images were themes on the painting that hung in the kitchen.

Axel motioned for him to stand in the door way as he entered Riku's room.

Riku was half sitting up on his bed, slouched on a multitude of mismatched pillows, with an heap of equally eclectic quilts pulled up to his waist. From what Sora could see from where he stood there was a tired and pained expression on his face.

"You look like shit," Axel said. "Here eat this."

"I'm not hungry."

"You have to take your meds with food or they won't work fast enough and you'll get sick."

Riku sighed and took a few bites of pizza, as Axel took a seat on the corner of the bed. Sora tried his hardest to stay invisible, but curiosity was quickly overcoming him. One of those giant canvases was set up on an easel, charcoal outlines sketching out the forms as light washes of paint were beginning to fill the shapes in a gradual build up of color.

There was an androgynous figure in the center of the picture plane, apparently being pulled apart by strange demon-esque figures that were beginning to be filled in with a shade of bright navy blue with red highlights. Torn feathers lay scattered on the black ground. The torment being depicted left Sora to wonder if maybe that was what Riku felt deep inside. Was art a mirror of the artists' soul?

He stepped forward to better view the in progress painting noticing a hand written note sandwiched between the edge of the canvas and the easel. In sloppy hand it read:

_"At night they come and steal my dreams,_

_They rip and tear at me,_

_Until I am no more._

_They dispose of me._

_I am judged unfit_

_I am never given a chance"_

A floor board squeaked underneath his weight. Riku's head snapped to attention, and Sora could feel eyes glaring daggers into him.

"What the fuck Axel?"

Axel turned around and rolled his eyes. Sora felt slightly embarrassed but the expression on Axel's face said not to worry.

"Riku it's just Sora, you don't need to glare at him. He's harmless. I thought maybe you'd enjoy being around someone your age."

"Last time I checked I was out of middle school," Riku scoffed.

"You, be nice," Axel chided.

"I'm never nice."

"You know, why do you push people away when they're only trying to help you?" Sora asked.

"Oh that's pure. What makes you think you know me?" Riku retorted.

"Your harsh words might hide the pain, but I can see right through. You don't need to go through this alone. Axel cares about you and, I, I just want to get to know you- the real you."

"I don't need any friends. Being alone has suited me quite well, thank you Mr High-And-Mighty-Know-it-All," Riku said taking his pizza and his pills and turning over on his side to face the wall.

Sora and Axel stared at him for a few seconds before Axel turned and got off the bed.

"Come on, it's best to leave him alone when he's PMS-ing like this," Axel said. "Sorry you had to go through this."

"It's alright. I know he doesn't mean it," he said. The last part meant more for Riku to hear.

They walked off into the dark hall. Outside the rain beat down on the building. A few cars whizzed down the narrow street making water spray in their wake.

Riku sighed. It was better this way. The boy didn't need to be involved in his life. Empathy was a wasted emotion on him. He would just end up being hurt in the end. Might as well do it himself and get it over with.

His head was spinning, and his body ached. He took a few bites last bites of pizza and popped his pills, hoping maybe they'd bring some relief.


End file.
